24-Carat Black

Detroit native Dale Warren, who received classical training as an arranger, launched his career at the renowned Motown label. From the closing years of the 1960s into the opening stretch of the 1970s he supplied the bulk of string arrangements for soul acts on Stax Records, working with Billy Eckstine, Eddie Floyd, Isaac Hayes, Albert King, the Staple Singers and others. During that period Warren formed a friendship with an emerging Cincinnati soul group known as the Ditalians. He persuaded them to adopt the name 24-Carat Black and then guided their development, writing and producing their sole album, the 1973 conceptual release Ghetto: Misfortune's Wealth, which examined inner-city existence. The record attracted scant notice at the time and soon vanished from circulation, since 24-Carat Black never released any additional material. Over subsequent decades, however, Ghetto: Misfortune's Wealth acquired cult status among hip-hop artists, with Heal, Young Disciples and Digable Planets among those who drew samples from its tracks. After remaining unavailable for years, the album finally appeared on CD in 1995. Several members of 24-Carat Black later performed with the group Shotgun.